Make sure you cross your T’s and dot your I’s with this one. She asks for a 50% non-refundable deposit and has very poor customer service skills.
In March I booked a sitter for July. The sitter had expressed some concerns about her back problems, and given my dog has some special needs of minimal lifting/carrying I was worried if she would be ok in an emergency situation. I suggested that maybe a few days trial would be a good idea to see if the sitter was comfortable and capable, and the sitter agreed. The owner of the company refused to negotiate the rate of the trial dates, even though from a liability and safety perspective she should have been as concerned as I was. The owner insisted that she and the sitter (who had previously agreed that the trial was needed) felt that trial days were unnecessary and the sitter was fully capable of safely fulfilling my expectations.
Fast forward to the end of May and six weeks before my trip. Due to unforseen circumstances i had to cancel some of the dates i had booked, but kept some of the ones (at the tail end of my original booking) i already had booked. The owner all of a sudden requested a 50% non refundable deposit which was never previously discussed or disclosed. I was like ok, but first i need some questions answered in writing so i know what im committing to (given the non refundable aspect). Even though the owner provided answers, she turned around and said the sitter no longer felt comfortable looking after my dogs, and was unable to commit to the new dates even though they were still within the dates she had previously agreed to. The owner went on to accuse me of costing the sitter money and affecting her ability to accept other jobs, which is ludacris because she was getting six weeks notice, so it was not even close to being a last minute cancellation ( how much notice do you require??!?!). The owner then said she felt my questions gave rise to her believing i was uncertain about going forward and i should find another sitter. Please note my questions were in regards to the sitter providing a schedule of when she was going actually be at home with the pets, when she wouldn’t be (so I know how long they are being left alone), what is the owner going to do if the schedule provided was not being adhered to, whether or not this company is insured (which they are not), and whether or not the sitter had a criminal record check and how long ago (which she did but it was over 2 years old and the owner said she would not ask her for an updated one because she knew the sitter personally…..well, last time i checked the sitter was coming into MY home and looking after MY pets and I have a sensitive job that requires me to be absolutely aware of who I associate with so I kinda feel like it should have been asked if I was ok with that instead of the owner trying to dictate that it was sufficient).
So even with six weeks notice the owner was upset that i had to cancel some of my previously booked dates. At the time of writing this review the owner does not have anything on her site/facebook page regarding any kind of cancellation policy. As a matter of fact, at the time of writing this she has not publicly disclosed any terms and conditions of her company’s services. And then was upset when i tried to be an informed and responsible consumer by asking questions to protect my interests.
So long story short, cover you bases and get EVERYTHING in writing when dealing with this company….protect yourself! Make sure you ask about deposits and cancellation.
All in all absolutely horrendous customer service.
One Comment
Make sure you cross your T’s and dot your I’s with this one. She asks for a 50% non-refundable deposit and has very poor customer service skills.
In March I booked a sitter for July. The sitter had expressed some concerns about her back problems, and given my dog has some special needs of minimal lifting/carrying I was worried if she would be ok in an emergency situation. I suggested that maybe a few days trial would be a good idea to see if the sitter was comfortable and capable, and the sitter agreed. The owner of the company refused to negotiate the rate of the trial dates, even though from a liability and safety perspective she should have been as concerned as I was. The owner insisted that she and the sitter (who had previously agreed that the trial was needed) felt that trial days were unnecessary and the sitter was fully capable of safely fulfilling my expectations.
Fast forward to the end of May and six weeks before my trip. Due to unforseen circumstances i had to cancel some of the dates i had booked, but kept some of the ones (at the tail end of my original booking) i already had booked. The owner all of a sudden requested a 50% non refundable deposit which was never previously discussed or disclosed. I was like ok, but first i need some questions answered in writing so i know what im committing to (given the non refundable aspect). Even though the owner provided answers, she turned around and said the sitter no longer felt comfortable looking after my dogs, and was unable to commit to the new dates even though they were still within the dates she had previously agreed to. The owner went on to accuse me of costing the sitter money and affecting her ability to accept other jobs, which is ludacris because she was getting six weeks notice, so it was not even close to being a last minute cancellation ( how much notice do you require??!?!). The owner then said she felt my questions gave rise to her believing i was uncertain about going forward and i should find another sitter. Please note my questions were in regards to the sitter providing a schedule of when she was going actually be at home with the pets, when she wouldn’t be (so I know how long they are being left alone), what is the owner going to do if the schedule provided was not being adhered to, whether or not this company is insured (which they are not), and whether or not the sitter had a criminal record check and how long ago (which she did but it was over 2 years old and the owner said she would not ask her for an updated one because she knew the sitter personally…..well, last time i checked the sitter was coming into MY home and looking after MY pets and I have a sensitive job that requires me to be absolutely aware of who I associate with so I kinda feel like it should have been asked if I was ok with that instead of the owner trying to dictate that it was sufficient).
So even with six weeks notice the owner was upset that i had to cancel some of my previously booked dates. At the time of writing this review the owner does not have anything on her site/facebook page regarding any kind of cancellation policy. As a matter of fact, at the time of writing this she has not publicly disclosed any terms and conditions of her company’s services. And then was upset when i tried to be an informed and responsible consumer by asking questions to protect my interests.
So long story short, cover you bases and get EVERYTHING in writing when dealing with this company….protect yourself! Make sure you ask about deposits and cancellation.
All in all absolutely horrendous customer service.